Navigating the Surprises of Life
Intro: How many of you enjoy surprises? I know, I know – it depends on what the surprise is. For example, your tax return comes back with $500 more than you expected – that is a good surprise! Or, back when we used VCR’s… one day you discovered that one of the kids inserted a peanut butter and jelly sandwich into the slot where the video goes – that is a bad surprise!
-Life is full of surprises. Some of them are enjoyable, and some of them are not. What was one of the biggest surprises of your life? (Allow responses – mine: Noelle)
-Well, one of the most important things I can think of is how we deal with the surprises in life. Especially the surprises that really take some getting used to, or that we just don’t want to accept. What do you do when things don’t go your way? Do you give up? Throw a fit? Fight all the harder and demand your way? Do you get so disappointed that you just bag everything and decide to do what feels good to you. Do you lash out at others to bend their will to yours?
-Regardless of your built-in tendencies and reactions, I believe God can and will help us change so we can be better equipped to handle change. If we will go all in with God and give our lives to Him, He will help us learn to navigate the surprises of life in a way that brings Him honor and produces something good in our lives and in those around us.
-Let’s look at some of the surprises we can face in this life and see what God wants to help us do in each situation.
I. Surprised by Stress
-What are we stressed about? The economy. Finances. Indebtedness. Family problems. Relationships. Our kids. Our schedules – busyness! Our jobs. Our neighbors. Our pets. Our health. Our status. Our possessions. Our spirituality.
-Perhaps the better question is this: What are we not stressed about?
Matthew 11:28-30 28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
1 Peter 5:7 unload all your burden on to him, since he is concerned about you.
Philippians 4:6-7 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
-So if you’re stressed, here are some action steps from the Bible: 1) Come to Jesus. 2) Rest in Jesus. 3) Learn from Jesus. 4) Join your life with His! 5) Unload your burdens on to Jesus, because He is concerned about you. 6) Pray instead of worrying!
-Some of you may need to remind me of these things this week during VBS when I’m stressed over things.
II. Surprised by Temptation
-It was one of Oscar Wilde’s characters who said, “I can resist anything except temptation.” Well, without the Lord’s help this is pretty true for all of us at various times in our lives. And like surprises, life is filled with temptations. Most sins carry some promise of reward or payoff which entice us to pursue them. We tend to ignore the negative results of that sin as long as we get our fulfillment. Of course the fulfillment never comes. It is always incomplete, always fleeting, never enough. That’s because we were designed to do life with God! So when we indulge in behavior that is out of sync with His character, we find ourselves separated from God.
-Paul describes a few temptations in 1 Corinthians 10:6-11. He makes the point that the OT Scriptures of Israel under Moses’ leadership were written to teach us how not to live.
1 Corinthians 10:6-11 6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry." 8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did-- and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We should not test the Lord, as some of them did-- and were killed by snakes. 10 And do not grumble, as some of them did-- and were killed by the destroying angel. 11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us…
-So we can look at these things and we might say, “No problem! I’ve got this handled!” Well, Paul warns those who think they’ve got this to be careful. Pride goes before a fall.
-Then he tells us how to handle temptations that come our way.
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
-How do we handle temptations? 1) Realize that temptations come to all of us and be ready. 2) Realize that God will never allow “irresistible” temptations to come your way. He gave you a will! Now use it! 3) Realize that God always provides an out. Pray right now and ask God to help you see His exit strategy for you! You can stand up in the face of temptation.
-Are you tempted to lie, cheat, steal, gossip, commit sexual sin, lust, hate, destroy, or put anything before God? He wants to help you as you do life with Him.
III. Surprised by Loss
Psalm 23:4 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me….”
-Everyone within the sound of my voice has, is, or will experience loss in their lives. When we lose someone or something valuable to us, it is natural for us to grieve that loss. Some losses come through tragedy, some are expected. Regardless of how the loss comes, it still carries a surprising sting!
-Most of you know that I lost my older brother nearly 6 months ago. To say I was surprised was a gross understatement. “How could this be? Why did it happen? What good could possibly come out of this? Both of my brothers died long before they should have. Why?” I certainly don’t have neat little answers for these kinds of questions, but I can make some sense out of it all as I continue to do life with God. He promised He would never leave me, and I don’t believe He ever did or ever will.
Psalm 23:4 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me….”
-The writer of the Psalms asks a rhetorical question in light of the fact that God is with him. Psalm 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation-- whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life-- of whom shall I be afraid?
-Or as Paul writes in Romans 8, If God is for us, who can be against us? Nothing, not even death, can separate us from God’s love when we put our trust in Him.
IV. Surprised by Mistreatment
-There is a lot of mistreatment that goes on in this world. People are abused in various ways every day – oftentimes by those closest to them who are supposed to protect and defend them. They don’t deserve such treatment. Perhaps they did nothing to bring such mistreatment on themselves; nevertheless, there it is, happening in real time. So many people’s lives are broken by the hands or words of others.
-And then there are many who are mistreated due to their faith. Jesus said not to be surprised when you are mistreated for your faith. People mistreated Him, as well as His prophets throughout the ages. In fact, if you never experience mistreatment for your faith, there’s a good chance you are being a people pleaser. I don’t like to be mistreated, so I try to treat others with respect and dignity, even if I don’t agree with them or approve of their actions. However, if we avoid conflict at all cost, it will cost us something! It may cost us our own integrity.
-Edmund Burke said all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. God has not called us to do nothing! Jesus invites believers to follow Him, and speak and live the truth in love. That means people will mistreat you sometimes!
John 15:20 “Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.”
-So it should be no surprise that followers of Jesus will be mistreated. The Bible actually tells us to expect it.
1 John 3:13 Marvel not, my brothers, if the world hate you.
1 Peter 4:12-16 12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.
-Here is how Jesus says to face mistreatment for your faith: Matthew 5:11-12 11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
-Jesus calls us to consider what really matters. What really lasts? Certainly not the mistreatment or its effects. Yes, they are unpleasant, but they carry with them a reward that is worth rejoicing over!
-So if you have been or are being mistreated for you faith, you are blessed, whether you see it or not! If you are being mistreated or abused by someone else, my prayer is that God will deliver you from that situation and bring complete healing to your body, mind, and emotions! He can make you completely whole again!
V. Surprised by Pain
John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
-Pain takes various forms. Physical suffering takes its toll and leaves people exhausted and unable to think straight. It’s no fun! Some of you live in constant physical pain, perhaps you suffer from some type of chronic pain. People don’t understand what you go through until they face it themselves. If you live relatively free from physical pain, consider yourself very blessed! But for those in constant physical pain, God knows your pain and He cares!
-There is also emotional pain. Some of you feel the deep devastation of rejection. You’ve been so let down by another person or persons. It leaves you feeling worthless and disposable to such a point that you might even despair for your life. We’ve already mentioned the pain of grief and the pain of mistreatment. Some people know little else than one form of pain or another. In fact, some of you are not surprised by pain at all because you’ve dealt with it most of your life.
-My heart breaks for you, but I’m here to offer you some hope! Psalm 34:19 “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.”
-Life is filled with pain and affliction, but when you are doing life with God, there is hope for deliverance, hope for growth, and hope for healing!
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
-See the pain will all go away one day. Revelation 21:4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.
VI. Surprised by Grace
Ephesians 2:4-5 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our sins.
-As we face life’s surprises of stress, temptation, loss, mistreatment, and pain, we might reach a place where we just expect the worst. Perhaps we think we will save ourselves some pain if we keep our expectations low. But that is not living! One ingredient of faith is high expectations! Faith is the substance of things hoped for, longed for. It consists of great expectations as we get to know how amazing God is and how much He loves us.
-If you are running low on hope today… If you can see nothing but a cycle of failure and pain and have come to expect nothing else… may you be surprised today by God’s grace! His grace is enough for you! His grace is enough to provide your forgiveness. His grace is enough to bring you healing! His grace is enough to help you through your pain! God’s grace is even enough to lower your stress level as you learn to trust Him! God’s grace is enough to make you alive with Christ so you can do life with Christ!
“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our sins.”
-If you need to be surprised by grace, I’d love to talk with you and pray with you. If not here and now, then perhaps we can set a time that would work for you. There is nothing too big or too small for God to help you with! He really does care for you! Let’s pray.
